IT has been reported that pupils in Dorset schools have poorer life-chances than almost anywhere in the country because they achieve less than average in our failing schools.

Eighty-seven per cent of pupils nationally attend ‘good or outstanding’ primary schools but in Dorset only 77 per cent do so, and 76 per cent of of secondary schools nationally are good or outstanding, but in Dorset it is only 67 per cent. (Ofsted 2018/9).

This means that our children are falling behind national standards in reading, maths and attainment with some of the lowest scores countrywide.

We hear no word or explanation or vestige of a plan to improve matters from Mark Blackman, Corporate Director of Education and Learning, whom we pay between £86,000 and £112,000 according to the report in the Dorset Echo (Feb 13), just a cliche that, ‘we all want great outcomes for children’. Where is the leadership from Chief Executive Matt Prosser who is paid £168,3000, seven times as much as a classroom assistant? When we read that our highly-paid directors are responsible for ‘delivering services’, this means effective services which put our children at the top of the league tables, not at the bottom. Why isn’t MP Chris Loder, who was educated in Dorset schools, now standing up for our left-behind learners instead of occupying himself with Dorset Knobs? In the private sector, when you open your wallet, you expect clear results. The Dorset ratepayer rewards our leaders to do more than ‘have ambitions’ for our children. We want to see a plan to deliver a much more effective education result for all our children; which will at least put them back at the national average, if not better, please.

D.J Warde

Bridport